Introduction
Gold rated power supplies have become a mainstay in the PC components space, with more manufacturers offering new options that boast a stronger efficiency rating. Picking up an efficient PSU is a huge consideration to make. Due to the economic crisis that we’ve found ourselves in, but also, because of the higher wattage demand that has come with more powerful components, like GPUs and CPUs, high efficiency is vital.
But how do you choose the correct power supply? And how do you separate the worthwhile options, from the ones you should avoid? In this article we’ll be answering these very questions with a roundup of the best 80 plus gold rated power supplies to buy. We’ve taken a look at a selection of awesome PSUs catering towards a range of different budgets and use-cases.
Suggested Article: Best Prebuilt Gaming PCs to Buy Under $4000
Our Recommendations
1. ASUS ROG STRIX 750G
👑 The best 750W 80 plus gold rated power supply.
The first power supply in our roundup is the 750W version of the ASUS ROG STRIX PSUs. This wattage tends to be a go-to option for many consumers, as many of these PSUs tend to be priced very well, versus a number of alternatives on the market. This particular PSU is extremely quiet, offering a near-silent experience under load. The fan bearings themselves are also designed for extremely prolonged usage, providing longevity, and allowing you to breathe knowing the fan won’t die. The 750G is also fully modular, allowing you to pick and choose cables, keeping your system nice and tidy.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | ASUS ROG STRIX 750G |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Wattage | 750W |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | No |
| Zero-Fan Mode? | Yes |
| PCI-E 5.0? | No |
Things We Like
Extremely quiet: The 750G is designed to handle high intensity loads, but will remain quiet throughout. This PSU offers near-silent performance, which is further complimented by the ‘Zero dB’ mode, that will ensure your fan remains off during light gaming.
Fully-modular design: The ROG STRIX 750G also offers a fully-modular design that allows you to pick and choose your power connectors at will. This should help with cable management, and make your PC building experience much easier.
Things We Don’t Like
Pretty expensive: This PSU is not the cheapest option on the market right now. Whilst it does offer more value versus some of the PCI-E 5.0 capable units we’ve seen, it definitely isn’t a budget-friendly choice.
Customisation options feel pointless: Although I get why ASUS have provided some cool customisation features for this PSU, it feels somewhat fruitless because it is unlikely that you’ll be able to see this being a PSU shroud.
Summary
The ROG STRIX 750G from ASUS, is an awesome 750W PSU that prioritises noise levels and function above anything else. Consumers can enjoy a PSU that remains silent under loads, provides a hassle-free building experience, and is just a generally well-rounded option. The customisation is a bit pointless, and this PSU is pricey, but it is well worth a consideration if you need a 750W power supply for your build.
Features: 3.9/5
Noise Levels: 4.4/5
Cabling & Modularity: 4.4/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Modular cabling will help ease the building process.
- Offers near-silent performance.
- Solid warranty.
Cons
- Quite expensive versus alternatives.
- Customisation is a bit pointless.
Where to Buy
Buy the ASUS ROG STRIX 750G on:
2. Corsair RM850
👑 The best 850W 80 plus gold rated power supply.
Next up is the RM850 from Corsair, a power supply that we’ve used a number of times in the past in a variety of different builds. Although this is a slightly older unit, it still holds up extremely well in today’s market. Much like the 750G, this PSU also offers a zero-fan mode, ensuring there’s minimal noise levels even when your system is under load. This PSU is ideal for those looking to keep noise levels to a minimum, but also for those that need a resilient high wattage unit, capable of delivering power without any large transient spikes, or phantom power issues.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Corsair RM850 |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Wattage | 850W |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | No |
| Zero-Fan Mode? | Yes |
| PCI-E 5.0? | No |
Things We Like
Near-silent performance: The RM850 offers a zero-fan mode, and is tuned to low-noise operation. This means that even at full load, the RM850 will remain quiet, minimising any annoying buzzing or whirring sounds.
Reasonably priced: As we look at higher wattages, prices do start to increase pretty drastically. However, Corsair have made this PSU pretty affordable despite being a higher wattage option.
Things We Don’t Like
An older option: Although the RM850 is a decent PSU, but it is an older model and may not be available everywhere. There have been a number of revisions to this PSU in recent years, that still come in at a similar price point.
No PCI-E 5 compatibility: Due to the age of this PSU, it is unfortunately not ‘with the times’ when it comes to cabling. Although the RTX 4000 series has been a bit of a mess thus far, if you’ve planned on picking up a new card, you may find yourself rethinking your PSU choice in order to get the correct cables.
Summary
Corsair’s RM850 is an excellent 850W power supply, designed to remain silent under load. This near-silent unit offers strong cabling options, and is pretty well priced versus the alternatives. It does lack PCI-E 5.0 support, but this won’t be a major problem for those that don’t care about cable management.
Features: 4/5
Noise Levels: 4.2/5
Cabling & Modularity: 4.2/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Offers near-silent performance.
- Fully modular design will help with cable management.
- Well priced.
Cons
- No PCI-E 5.0 support.
- This revision is an older model.
Where to Buy
Buy the Corsair RM850 on:
3. NZXT C1000 Gold
👑 The best 1000W 80 plus gold rated power supply.
For our third selection, we’ve picked out the C1000 Gold, a modular unit from NZXT. This is another PSU that we’ve recommended quite a few times in previous builds and buyers guides due to the consistency it offers. This particular model is actually manufactured by Seasonic, which demonstrates how reliable it is versus other 1000W models. Much like other NZXT components, this model is in-keeping with the minimalist aesthetic, offering matte black colouring all around the chassis. The C1000 Gold also features a zero RPM mode, which provides near-silent performance even under load.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | NZXT C1000 Gold |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Wattage | 1000W |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | No |
| Zero-Fan Mode? | Yes |
| PCI-E 5.0? | No |
Things We Like
Perfect for top-end builds: We’ve used this PSU a number of times in extremely powerful builds with high performance components. If you’re picking up a modern top-end GPU and CPU, we’d definitely recommend looking at this PSU option.
Extremely quiet: The C1000 Gold is an insanely quiet power supply, which makes it an extremely competitive option versus other alternatives on the market. If you’re looking to avoid any fan whir or buzzing, this PSU is worth considering.
Things We Don’t Like
Not cheap: Unfortunately, as we venture further into higher wattage options, the price is only going to increase. This 1000W option is $150 out of the box, which is a lot to spend on just a power supply.
NZXT only offers 1 ATX 3.0 unit: ATX 3.0 is becoming more mainstream, with the significant rise in powerful graphics card. However, NZXT hasn’t really jumped on board with the new power standard, and only one of their units (the C1200) supports ATX 3.0, which is disappointing to see.
Summary
NZXT’s C1000 Gold is an excellent 1000W unit, designed to keep noise levels to a minimum, while providing a hassle-free building experience. This PSU is expensive, and doesn’t offer any support for the new ATX 3.0 standard, but I’d say its a pretty well priced option for a PSU with a wattage capability this high.
Features: 4/5
Noise Levels: 4.4/5
Cabling & Modularity: 4.3/5
Value for Money: 4.2/5
Pros
- Perfect for a high performance build.
- Near-silent performance.
- Easy to install.
Cons
- Not a cheap option.
- NZXT only offers one ATX 3.0 unit.
Where to Buy
Buy the NZXT C1000 on:
4. Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1350W
👑 The best 1350W 80 plus gold rated power supply.
The final power supply in this roundup is the Toughpower GF3 1350W unit from Thermaltake. This unit is one of the highest wattage options on the market right now, and quite likely to be unnecessary for most consumers. But regardless of this, the GF3 1350W is an awesome option if you need it. The power supply is ATX 3.0 compatible, designed to handle the latest graphics cards. Although this PSU has an 80 plus gold certification, Cybenetics actually gives this a Platinum rating, which means you’re getting more bank for your buck. Thermaltake have absolutely loaded this PSU with cables, providing you with plenty of extras for other components and accessories.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1350W |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Wattage | 1350W |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | No |
| Zero-Fan Mode? | Yes |
| PCI-E 5.0? | Yes |
Things We Like
Efficiency is better than the 80 Plus Rating: This PSU has been tested and certified by Cybenetics as Platinum rated. This indicates that efficiency is actually stronger than the initial 80 plus rating, which means you’re getting more bank for your buck performance wise.
Supports the ATX 3.0 standard: This PSU is one of the few options on the market right now that offers support for PCI-E 5.0 (or ATX 3.0) capable graphics cards. If you’re building a top-end system and you’d like to avoid adapters and a mass of cables, PCI-E 5.0 is the way to go for your new GPU.
Things We Don’t Like
Insanely expensive: As you can imagine, a 1350W power supply is probably going to be pricey, and you’d be correct. This 1350W PSU sits well over the $200 mark, which is ridiculous for a power supply.
Likely to be unnecessary: Most consumers won’t be buying components that are even capable of reaching a wattage this high. Unless you’re building a top-end PC with multiple graphics cards or CPUs, this power supply is a bit redundant.
Summary
Thermaltake’s Toughpower GF3 1350W is an insanely high wattage unit, designed to handle the best components money can buy. However, this PSU is only worth buying if you definitively need it as it is very expensive, and not likely to be necessary for most consumers.
Features: 4.5/5
Noise Levels: 3.6/5
Cabling & Modularity: 4.7/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Supports the ATX 3.0 standard.
- Stronger efficiency rating than advertised.
- Zero-fan mode should help with noise levels to a degree.
Cons
- Very expensive.
- Poor noise levels.
Where to Buy
Buy the Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1350W on:
Is Efficiency Important?
Efficiency is one of the big features that can be a decision-maker for consumers looking to pick up a power supply. But is it the most important feature in a power supply? Whilst I do believe it is a good idea to pick up a PSU with decent efficiency, it shouldn’t be the factor that makes you decide on a particular unit. Efficiency will only determine how much power your PSU draws from the wall under certain loads, but as we’ve seen, these 80 plus ratings aren’t always true.
Efficiency also won’t tell you, what protection mechanisms your PSU has, whether your unit has a lot of phantom voltage, or if you’ve got all of the cables you need. I’d go a step further to argue that protection mechanisms are worth considering even more so than efficiency, just to ensure that none of your components get damaged and your PSU turns off properly when there’s too much voltage, current, or wattage going through it.
Moving back around to the question that we’ve asked, efficiency is somewhat important, but it isn’t the most important. While you should always attempt to pick up a power supply that offers decent efficiency, there are a number of factors that are if anything, more important that are worth considering beforehand.
Why You Can Trust Us
When searching for an ideal PSU, our team of passionate PC hardware and gaming enthusiasts are always on hand to test and evaluate a wide range of products. Along with gaming benchmarks and other testing methods, we’ll analyse all aspects of a product to forge a general overview of its quality and value. The results are then relayed onto our audience through YouTube videos and written content. If you’re keen to learn more about our team or editorial promise, head over to the ‘About Us’ section.
How We Tested the Best 80 Plus Gold Rated Power Supplies
In order to test and evaluate the best 80 plus gold rated PSUs, there are a number of factors that we take into account, these are:
- Noise Levels
- Cables and Modularity
- Thermals
- Value for Money
Conclusion
Best 80 Plus Gold Rated Power Supply: Corsair RM850
Concluding our roundup, we’ve picked out the RM850 as the best 80 plus gold rated PSU on the market. Although this component is an older option, it offers good cable management, is near-silent in performance, and generally isn’t too pricey. It does lack PCI-E 5.0 support, but based on the fact that RTX 4000 has been pretty disappointing so far, I can’t imagine most consumers won’t be saddened by the lack of one cable. Either way, this PSU is definitely worth considering if you need a solid 850W option.
Read our full read our Corsair PSU coverage, or Buy the Corsair RM850 on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need an 80 Plus Gold PSU?
We would recommend higher wattage PSUs utilise a gold wattage or above, but lower rated PSUs can get away with a weaker efficiency rating, like Bronze.
How Do I Calculate My PSU Wattage?
We recommend using a wattage calculator online. PC Part Picker will automatically calculate your average power draw, but a calculator like Cooler Master’s PSU calc will be better for a clearer idea on how much wattage your build will consume.
Do I Need PCI-E 5.0?
No one technically needs PCI-E 5.0, but if you’re prioritising cable management and you’ve got an RTX 4000 series card, a PCI-E 5.0 capable PSU might be worth it.
Is Cable Management Important?
It can be, especially if your case is more restrictive when it comes to airflow. However, most consumers are of the mindset that cramming your cables away is a better bet, and is less hassle.
